Dutch reject EU-Ukraine deal

The Dutch government suffered an embarrassing defeat Wednesday as voters overwhelmingly rejected an EU deal with Ukraine, with 61.1 percent voting No, according to public broadcaster NOS.

The vote was seen as a test of public opinion towards the EU and comes less than three months before British citizens decide whether to leave the EU altogether.

Turnout was 32.2 percent, above the 30 percent threshold needed to send the issue back to parliament. Earlier projections had put turnout at just under the 30 percent threshold.

Euroskeptic MEP Nigel Farage, leader of the far-right United Kingdom Independence Party, tweeted his support for the result, saying that he had spoken to the organizers of the petition that led to the Dutch referendum and invited them to the U.K. to discuss Brexit.

Although the result of the referendum is non-binding, Dutch law says that a No vote, combined with a turnout of more than 30 percent, would mean the deal having to be discussed again by parliament.

"We will have to wait and see but it is clear that the No voters won convincingly. The question is whether or not the required turnout will be met," Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a televised reaction.

"My view is that if the turnout is more than 30 percent, with such a victory for the No camp, ratification cannot go ahead without discussion."

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday that Ukraine will expand its cooperation with the EU, despite the Dutch rejection.

Poroshenko said that the organizers wanted to “challenge the power of the EU, not the association agreement with Ukraine”, NOS reports. He said the result was "an attack on the unity of Europe and the spread of European values.”

The deal — officially an “association agreement” — which aims at improving trade between the EU and Ukraine, provisionally came into force on January 1, but needs to be ratified by all 28 EU members. The Dutch parliament has already backed the deal.

Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party, was quick to take to Twitter after polling finished, saying the result was “great” and hoping that the turnout passed the 30 percent mark.

“It looks like the Dutch people said NO to the European elite and NO to the treaty with the Ukraine", he said. "The beginning of the end of the EU”.

It looks like the Dutch people said NO to the European elite and NO to the treaty with the Ukraine. The beginning of the end of the EU.

Emile Roemer, leader of the Socialist Party, said: “I am happy with the result. People wanted to tell the government that Ukraine is too corrupt to sign an agreement with. They also wanted to show that Europe is only there for the elite and multinationals.”

Alexander Pechtold, leader of the liberal D66 party, which supported the deal, said: “I had hoped that the Yes and No vote would have been more tied.”

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had warned that a Dutch No vote could lead to a "continental crisis."

"I want the Dutch to understand that the importance of this question goes beyond the Netherlands," the newspaper NRC quoted Juncker as saying in January.

"I don't believe the Dutch will say no, because it would open the door to a big continental crisis," he said. "Russia would pluck the fruits of an easy victory.

It was the first referendum to take place under a Dutch law that obliges the government to call a public vote on any petition that gets the support of 300,000 people. In this case, GeenPeil, an initiative set up by a far-right, Euroskeptic website called GeenStijl, collected more than 400,000 signatures in six weeks last fall.

The vote is an embarrassment for the government as it holds the rotating presidency of the EU’s Council of Ministers, and it brings back painful memories of another EU referendum.

In 2005, the center-right government of Jan Peter Balkenende backed a Yes campaign for plans to give the EU greater powers through a European Constitution, with disastrous results.

More than 60 percent voted No to the constitution, three days after the French also rejected the idea. The level of opposition and the turnout — 62 percent — exceeded all projections.

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Ion

The next referendum should be an IN/OUT. I dare the people of Netherlands to sign a petition for an exit referendum.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 9:26 PM CET

Reactionary

Ion, people don’t want an in/out referendum, because they are not fundamentally opposed to the Union. People want a vote on WHAT kind of Union we’ll have going forward. The voters have not been asked which way to take the Union, and thus there is much tension even on seemingly minor issues like this one. There is no non-democratic way forward for the EU.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 9:50 PM CET

troubetzkoy

it shows that referendum is not a good instrument as quite often people vote against the government and not for the question which is tabled

Posted on 4/6/16 | 9:51 PM CET

troubetzkoy

it shows that quite often people vote against the governmentand not for the question they are supposed to answer

Posted on 4/6/16 | 9:54 PM CET

Karel Musch (NL)

Hmmmm, now we will find out whether or not the political elites in EU have ears or not. ” If not, why, we shall smile” and wait for Brexit. Or Franxit, fot that matter.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 10:21 PM CET

Roy Jacobs

FU EU, I love the Dutch, next we get our chance on June 23, Brexit to blue skies and freedom.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 10:39 PM CET

dandino

How about the arrogant EU elites abide by the wishes of their people for a change. No means No!!

Posted on 4/6/16 | 10:40 PM CET

Ion Arhanghel

@Reactionary

Oh they don’t want out, do they? Of course not – it’s way more lucrative to stay in and profit on the expense of the others, while virtually taking the Union hostage, with 20% of the population of the country affecting the rest of the Union’s 505 million citizens. Where is the democracy here?

I have some suggestions for the free and democratic citizens of Holland for referendum thematics, other than in/out – since they love the Union so much:
1. How about push for all-across the Union referendums to decide important matters? Bring democracy to the ones living in darkness.
2. The in/out of Eurozone. Do you have the courage to admit that being part of the single currency bring you outstanding competitive advantage?
3. Legalize marijuana across the Union. If you can do it, so can they.
4. Cross-national parties. If you all love EU so much for sure you understand that having the Comission elected by MEPs that come from national parties is not democratic. And let’s not go into how the EU President is voted.

But no, the great Dutch nation – a historic trading nation – decides to slam the door in the face of other nation regarding a free-trade agreement. I wonder where the catch is. Knowing the Dutch businessmen and their government as low vision, profit mongers that want to protect their market advantages at all costs, there is certainly a “shut the competition” catch in there. We will find out sooner than later.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 10:43 PM CET

Kubanek

Dear eurosceptics, you do not understand the reality of the situation. As a EUphobe, I am against leaving the EU, since I am standing for complete dissolution of EU as a whole.
If Britain, Netherlands or even other countries leave, EU will exist. Do you believe that Netherlands, out of EU will be free of EU dictatorship? Good joke.
That’s why, as a nationalist I support every, pan-European, anti-EU, initiative. We have to think, what we should do, to free our continent of this EUSRR. Otherwise we will fail.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 10:45 PM CET

Kubanek

All Eurosceptics should rather focus on organizing a pan-EU, referendum with simple question: Do you want EU to be dissolved? My vote will naturally be: Tak.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 10:48 PM CET

Observer

So only 20 % of the Dutch (64 % ‘no’ votes of a 31 % turnout) can block an association agreement that has been approved by all 28 (parliaments of the) member states?

Posted on 4/6/16 | 10:51 PM CET

Kubanek

Roy Jacobs, as a political scientist I can only say, that you are completely wrong. I support Brexit, because I want UK to be dissolved, I want Scotland, England, Wales to be independent. Only England/Scotland, fully independent, free of EU and NATO, but also of this pathetic, artificial “Union of 1707”, will make people of the British Islands, free.
Do not trust these clowns from UKIP or even BNP or Britain First, only ethnic or cultural nationalism (like Scottish, English, Irish)can bring freedom. There is no such a thing like a “British nation”, anymore, Netherlands is not Holland, anymore. Sorry, but a country where speaker of the House is an Arab woman, cannot be called a European country. Sorry.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 10:51 PM CET

Kubanek

Observer, this vote is non-binding, but you are right. Are you aware, that only 42% of Poles (about 80% but with only 52% turnout, referendum lasted 2 days) supported Poland’s entry to EU, in 2004. And surprise, we’re in. I remember how idiotic was the pro-EU propaganda, then. And now, the same media and politicians dare to say that “most of people, support EU membership”.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 10:54 PM CET

Roy Jacobs

@ion, how about ion you put it to referendum across the EU that we all become one superstate, when you win that one, then an EU wide referendum makes sense, until then we remain Sovereign Nations not member states, the Project is a busted flush pal, face up to the truth.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 10:55 PM CET

Roy Jacobs

@kubanek, i think you might be barking up the wrong tree here, I am first and almost exclusively English, not British. The United Kingdom means nothing much to me, given the choice I would happily say bye to that Union, and feel secure that a completely devolved Scotland Wales and Presumably united Ireland would be nothing other than good neighbours.
Brexit is important because it removes us from the shackles of the EU, hopefully that would cause a domino effect on the entire construct and in turn destroy the political view common amongst all our rulers that are slavishly obedient to it.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 11:04 PM CET

Ion

@Roy. Dude, I completely understand your UK situation. You are in trade balance deficit while still contributing a lot to the EU budget. It should be the other way around. UK should receive funds! In my opinion that is the underlying trait of Brexit feelings – you are being robbed! And instead of making things right, Cameron missed the millenium opportunity. Of course he got what he needed: hos friends in The City are safe.

But as for the brit’s life I can see it going down the gutter year by year and I feel for you guys. But you’re looking the wrong way: the problem is inside. But if leaving EU will stop this unnatural nonsense of paing a lot when you should receive money, that’s a small step, and it’s also reasonable.

All of the above does not apply to Netherlands who unlike UK, has a trade excedent three times larger than UK deficit. UK is too a victim of Netherlands taking the EU hostage.

All the rest that they do and say with bringing democracy to EU is a shade of smoke to cover their profiting from EU and keeping their advantages to profit more.

Jaap Steenbergen

NN

It’s been an eternal struggle between the good and the evil, but in the end, with all the blood and setbacks, History never goes backwards…

Posted on 4/6/16 | 11:57 PM CET

Roy Jacobs

@ion, sorry pal but if you imagine that running a trade deficit whilst contributing billions to do so even enters the conversation when the EU is discussed, you are mistaken.
We object to our immigration policies to the rest of Europe being dictated by Brussels, this issue is by a long way the biggest issue, secondly we object to our sovereignty, something we lend to politicians expecting it to be returned intact every 5 years in an election, being given away to unelected bodies without our agreement, thirdly we object to not being capable of forging our own free trade agreements with the rest of the world without first getting the agreement of 27 other nations overseen by a Swedish woman who previously worked as a psychiatric nurse.
We reject almost everything that the EU stands for, and everything it wishes to be, it would be better for all concerned if we left this ridiculous club and forged our own destiny.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 12:04 AM CET

pexi

Everyone in Europe is exceeded by the level of stupidity, the level of arrogance and the level of incompetence of not elected eurocrates only chosen because they are good fiends of…

Posted on 4/7/16 | 12:15 AM CET

Ion

@Roy

I know the trade deficit does not enter discussion. But it should – it’s at the core of how people feel an association. The human nature is universal. So as in a marriage when parties do not feel the bemefits anymore – so as in a trans-national Union.

For me, having studied a lot of contemporary history – 2016 feels!like 1991 again. The way things are going feels a lot like the USSR disbanding: Russia, Ukraine (!) and Belorussia decided that USSR is a decrepit construction and they would be better off forging a future for themselves. They decalred USSR (another union) done for it. The reason being that they contributed more to the union’s budget and other states were “lazy” and profiteers (what a shock!).

Then Russia decided that USSR laws no longer apply on it’s territory and confiscated all USSR assets on Russian territory. And that was that.

I expect the dismantling of EU to go just as fast after the Brexit vote. After all, an Empire (qoute from former EC president Barroso) is not very stable and history has shown it. I am afraid I have to argue agains some commentators that say “History never goes backwards”. It does and it did – 1000 years of middle age after the Roman Empire. Empire crushed by migrant pressure from Asia.

So, letting aside my Holland rant, I think that Brexit will succeed and EU will be dismantled. Not that the ideea was wrong – but that the implementation was awfull. Unfortunately.

The story about the psychiatric nurseis not the nly one. The office for EU research, people say, is still ran by a former taxi driver from Germany.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 12:34 AM CET

democracy

Observer
So only 20 % of the Dutch (64 % ‘no’ votes of a 31 % turnout) can block an association agreement that has been approved by all 28 (parliaments of the) member states?

there is a 30% minimum for a referendum

Posted on 4/6/16 | 10:51 PM CEST

yes 64% is the majority of the voters!
dont blame the no voters,
blame the people who dont vote
or the people who voted yes,
ensuring that the 30% is achieved

welcome to democracy 🙂

ofcourse nothing wil change…
its not like our politicians truly listen to us (its a non binding referendum a.k.a. doesnt mather)
and even if they do….
then the eu will find a way to ignore it

welcome to dictatorship……

ukrain ask greece how it feels to be part of the eu
they love it… (obvious sarcasm)
or the uk… they love it so much they want to leave

there is a reason why nationalistic partys are rising in the eu
sadly they are the only ones who dare to oppose the eu

i personally feel more for a eu that cant overrule the people and the goverments of the nations
and/or is trully fully democratic (for example need the majority of all 28 nations for each law or law collection (trough voting)),
and is mainly focussed on trade and envirementol issues

Posted on 4/7/16 | 1:32 AM CET

Bandiet NL

Ion
The next referendum should be an IN/OUT. I dare the people of Netherlands to sign a petition for an exit referendum.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 9:26 PM CEST

Reactionary
Ion, people don’t want an in/out referendum, because they are not fundamentally opposed to the Union. People want a vote on WHAT kind of Union we’ll have going forward. The voters have not been asked which way to take the Union, and thus there is much tension even on seemingly minor issues like this one. There is no non-democratic way forward for the EU.

Posted on 4/6/16 | 9:50 PM CEST

The next referendum is on its way, and its IN or Out EU. If they not prohibeted before! And we are not against the Union, dont talk lies here, everyone I know, is against the Union, against our gouvernment, the war will be against the establishment, wich for sure, will denie this peoples vote. We dont have a law, that order to vote, so this is legitemate. If Juncker is not a liar, this is the end of the EU, you should be thankfull, to those, voted NO today!

Posted on 4/7/16 | 2:39 AM CET

Theodore

Bravo the Dutch .

Posted on 4/7/16 | 3:05 AM CET

paul

This vote is nothing to really talk about. 64% of 32% = 20% of the population that voted no.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 3:11 AM CET

Mike

As if the Eurocrats care. They just keep laughing their way to the bank.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 7:50 AM CET

tom soners

Everytime the EU (or aspects of it) are the subject of a referendum, the EU-establishment proposals are rejected. But the monster keeps rolling on. Let’s hope the Brexit finally deals some serious damage.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 8:13 AM CET

Marcel

Opinion polls always seem to overstate support for what the Eurosoviet wants. This was true in 2005, and is true again. Probably a case of wishful thinking on account of the EU-ites.

Using polls in order to manipulate turnout and the eventual result isn’t a new tjink. You see it in Britain too, elite-commissioned polls skewed towards IN. Hopefully it won’t work in Britain either.

Typically, it works like this. Question asked: “Are you in favor of cooperation?” Then whoever says “yes” is counted as enthusiastically in favor of unlimited EU powers.

On towards Brexit and the restoration of democracy!

Posted on 4/7/16 | 9:22 AM CET

Anne

Dutch elections usually have a 70% turnout.
For this vote only 30% showed up to vote, and most of those were supporters of Geert Wilders, leader of a far-right party, the same ones who signed a petition for this vote in the first place.

This is hardly surprising. Ukraine trade deals is not a topic of great interest among the general population and the far-right parties presented it to their followers as about something completely different.

Its a huge problem if a small minority of voters in a particular EU country are granted veto power over everything. In theory that means 100,000 voters in tiny Malta could make all EU decisions if that country also wanted to join in the referendum game.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 9:24 AM CET

Marcel

@Ion

There is no EU-demos therefore there is no EU democracy. Therefore EU wide referendums are not democratic. Only national ones are. Transnational lists are therefore also fundamentally undemocratic.

Now go check the definition of democracy before you come back and make more inane proposals to undermine national democracy.

And if low turnout = no legitimacy, then the Eurosoviet Duma (EU Parliament) has no legitimacy either. Come to think of it, it already doesn’t on account of there not being an EU-demos.

And as mentioned in an earlier post, I don’t tjink the majority in Netherlands or France or Britain supports the EU. It’s the poll trick again. People support “some form of cooperation” and “trade” which EU-ites translate to support of the EU.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 9:33 AM CET

Kubanek

Roy, thank you for this comment. I fully understand you, but Scotland should become fully independent, Ireland united. England and Wales might live in a marriage. But you’re right, to do so, Brexit is important. That’s why I fully support English (who mostly opt for leave)in their way for freedom (from EU and UK).

Posted on 4/7/16 | 9:36 AM CET

Marcel

For people that support the EU: do you let your neighbours use your credit card or bank pass? No? Why not, you are in favor of the joint budget system so practise what you preach.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 9:37 AM CET

Roy Jacobs

@Ion, i agree that the massive trade imbalance should be part of the conversation, and perhaps it will over the next 3 months, for now the Remain campaign hold the keys to the argument when it comes to the economy, not that they should, but for now they do.
I agree with your historical analogy, all empires are fragile reliant on the goodwill of those that live under it, as a Brit I know how quickly Empires collapse and globalisation surely only speeds up the effect.
A taxi driver in charge of EU research, why am I not surprised?
My own personal favourite is the increasingly ludicrous and hubristic Martin Schulz, another ‘President’ this time of the vacuous Parliament.
Despite attending a prestigious German Grammar school, Schulz’s academic achievements are so poor that in his native Germany he would not be able to work as a bank teller, too intellectually challenging for him.
Yet there he is, President of the Parliament, swanning around the world with a huge staff, feted by journalists and commentators, its sickening to watch.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 9:45 AM CET

Tim Bond

coxswain

The joke here is on democracy apparently, judging by Prime Minister’s Mark Rutte statement “…ratification cannot go ahead without discussion”, because the way I understand it, ratification will nevertheless go ahead, but they will however make an effort to talk some more about it.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 10:27 AM CET

Free Ombudsman

Astonishing, and disappointing, how (some of) the Dutch has betrayed the memories of hundreds of their compatriots, killed by the enemies of a democratic Ukraine.
And yes, I’m aware of not having a published final investigation report (Why?), and a formal prosecution, but everybody who is objectively informed “knows” who paid the equipment and the troops to shoot down the civil plane.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 10:28 AM CET

Anne

@Marcel
A “demos” is an artificial construct. On the surface the Netherlands appears quite homogeneous but that was a slow development. The country was originally divided into many strong regions with their own languages or distinct dialects, religions, and governments.
There are core protestant Dutch provinces of the west, the Low Saxons of the east (Overijssel, etc.), the Frisians of the north, the Catholic Netherlanders of the south, etc. Many of these traditionally had stronger ties with neighbouring nations – Frisians have kin along the German North Sea coastline, the Overijssel folk have kin in German Cleves and other adjacent areas, the Brabants among the Flemish in Belgium, and so on.
So the Netherlands consists of many “demoi” that has evolved to work as one. Really it is a microcosm of the larger continent or what the continent could eventually become.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 11:11 AM CET

Tim Bond

Welcome to the real world of intrigue and subterfuge with Europe being assaulted on all sides threatening its very existence. In fact the EU represents Europe with elected MP’s and a Council of Ministers to agree common standards. This is all about transparency and fair-play.

Corporations lobby Brussels to shape laws and avoid paying tax. APPLE makes tax deals in Ireland which is a good example where the EU should intervene. GOOGLE agrees negotiated tax deals with HMG. Examples of how governments are left hanging out to dry. We need standard tax rates across a federal Europe.

Britain refuses FTT Financial Transaction Tax to identify all derivatives trading of subprime mortgages loans and credit default swaps. Offshore hedge funds need to be regulated by the EU. That is why there is resistance to the EU today. The leaked Panama Papers show the extent of the rot in Europe.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 11:26 AM CET

jodocus

As a Dutch citizen (who voted in favour of the Ukraine treaty) I must say I (think I can) understand the “No” vote.

There is a wide perception that the EU as a whole is simply not delivering the quality and prudence of administration we were expecting, and is sacrificing sound administration in favour of political hobbyism. The bigger the EU gets, the diverse the interests of its members, and the more impotent and paralysed it becomes. Bigger is _not_ better. And the politicians and EU administrators didn’t warn us about that. Not a way to instill confidence.

So we’ve got to keep the Ukraine out of the EU for the foreseeable future. Sorry, but there it is. Personally I’d be happy with an association treaty, but not everyone shares my confidence that an association treaty will not raise expectations (let alone imply a tacit understanding) that the Ukraine can join.

The festering Greek debt crisis is a case in point. It looks like a sinkhole for money, among which our money, simply to humour political hobbyists. It has been made abundantly clear that Greece is _not_ part of an “optimal currency area”, but the (risky) decision was taken to admit it to the Eurozone anyway for political reasons. That fact has not been forgotten, nor has it been forgiven.

Take the communal agricultural budget now. A continuous splurge of cash mainly to prop up inefficient small farms that happen to make up a large part of the social fabric in a certain large EU country. And it consumes most of the common budget while we’re struggling to fund innovation. Well, we knew that when we went in, but it still isn’t a point in favour of the EU.

Scary things are happening in Poland (government actively undermining a verdict by Poland’s supreme court with populist backing), Hungary (back to dictatorship in all but name). And all that in _our_ EU !?

And that that bloated, rambling, incomprehensible, lah-di-dah piece of sh*te we were offered as an EU “constitution”. The US constitution has 4400 words and you can understand what its idea is when you read it. Why the hick can’t we have something of that quality? Why did we have to be assaulted by a former French president’s daydreams? Is that the best the EU “elite” can come up with? Really? Is that the EU?

The Schengen agreement, whilst providing obvious benefits, turns out to make the issue of illegal immigrants much more difficult to control. The EU subsequently proved almost powerless to repair the shortcomings, and only at the last minute did it come up with something: a deal with Turkey.

In return for this deal, Turkey demanded (and got) a resumption of the negotiations to join. Personally I do not want Turkey to join the EU. It is quite populous, and hence would be a very powerful member state that is different in many ways from the EU mainstream. It clearly poses a risk in terms of democratic values, it is a Muslim country which seems to veer against the separation between church and state effected by Attaturk, it has a long and porous border with one of the world’s most intense conflict zones, it will make travel for Muslim extremist terrorists that much easier, and it has a difficult and violent relationship with one of its peoples (the Kurds) that threatens to spiral into a secession movement and a civil war. Not a country that would be in our interest to have as an EU-member.

Did Brussels just accede to a deal that faciliitates to Turkey’s accession? Evidence that they can’t be trusted with the amount of power they wield.

The economic policy of the Eurozone (negative interest rates) looks like a classic case of “one size fits no-one”. Negative interest rates are not compatible with the economies in the North-West and they are destroying our pension funds (which must have access to investments with positive interest rates in order to meet future obligations). Dutch pension funds are desperate for low-risk investment opportunities, but banks are still impossibly stingy with credits to small and medium size enterprises.

And does it work well? This cheap money policy? By and large the “cheap money” policy does not seem to work to revitalise the French economy at all, or many others. So this aspect of the Eurozone is a liability we must endure rather than an asset we can use.

If people got the impression the EU is focused on making what we already have work, and work well, there would be no problem. We would “grin and bear it” while patiently waiting for them to fix things.

In addition the EU has been negotiating the TTIP treaty that holds out a wafer-thing promise of increased trade against a backdrop of draconian measures that favour industry lobbyists (like intensifying and extending copyrights and criminalising copyright infractions, ISDS by which companies could hold entire countries at ransom). And not until the drafts were leaked and a public outcry ensued did the national and EU negotiators apply the brakes and tried to take some of the sting out of it. Not a way to earn trust here.

Instead all we hear about is about whom the EU intends to splurge cash on next, whom it’s going to sign new association agreements with, what additional taxes it has in mind, how it’s being driven by the IMF to write off a hundred billion or so in credits to Greece.

That kind of EU is becoming a difficult sell over here, which (I think) is what the referendum outcome means. I’m pretty sure that everyone in the Netherlands understands the value of the European idea. It’s the EU implementation we’re worried about.

Despite all, I am firmly in favour of the EU. I just think we should focus on making it work well, rather than on looking for ways to load it up with more countries or more responsibilities.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 11:32 AM CET

Alan

Message from the political establishment seems to be ” The people – the bastards- have spoken and must be ignored or denigrated or patronised for not understanding what they have said “

Posted on 4/7/16 | 12:07 PM CET

Hans Knol

For all those who are claiming the turnout is very low: in The Netherlands, this is comparable to the percentage of people that vote for the European Parliament.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 12:13 PM CET

Alexander Malinowski

Dutch have many reasons to reject EU. They shall demand ejection of Greece and blocking immigration from the south. However, this referendum is behind my comprehension. Ukraine is more better than Greece and Ukrainians are far more better people than millons that already reside in Netherlands. Ukrainian girls are great.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 4:29 PM CET

Donald J. Trump

discussions on this shoutbox are dumber than bar discussions about football

Posted on 4/7/16 | 4:39 PM CET

Brian

So Dutch voters throw the people of Ukraine under the bus because they’re unhappy with the EU? Looks like a victory for Kremlin propaganda. It’s certainly a victory for Putin’s scheme’s to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet vassals from attaining true economic independence.

Posted on 4/7/16 | 7:08 PM CET

ewout

We Dutch are fed up with being a net payer to an out-of-control project that is governed by nameless bureaucrats appointed by large countries. In 2005 our vote was ignored yet we were one of the founding members of the whole project.
Yes, the EU has brought benefits by they are outweighed by all the negative things.
Fatalistic projections by EU lovers about our demise without the EU in place are utter nonsense. We will not go under when we would leave the EU. The Netherlands were a maritime trading power already in the 17th century when Brussels was still a backwater governed by the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs….
The EU either accepts our doubts and reforms or strong nations will bail out and leave the EU a motley collection of weak states such as Greece and Italy.

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There are lots of software companies all around the world, one of which is London web agency. Each of the images on your web site should really have proper detailed titles and alt tags too. While it may take a little while for changes in design culture to filter out into the more remote regions of the UK, London because of its position as the capital city gets to see new concepts first, thanks to a plethora of exhibitions and shows dedicated to web design.